Robert Scheer Talks Economic Crisis

Posted on Sep 18, 2010

msnbc.com

In appearances on MSNBC and KCRW, Truthdig Editor Robert Scheer is coming out with rhetorical guns blazing to talk about the economic crisis, Wall Street pandering, and the culpability of both parties in all of it.

Here’s a link to Scheer’s interview with Matt Miller on KCRW’s “Politics of Culture” podcast.

Economic crisis? All depends who talk to. Face it, the plutocrats, corporatists, oligarchs, or whatever you wish to call them are not suffering an economic crisis when they can short, hedge, diversify, off-shore, etc., etc., etc…..to their hearts’ content, safe in the knowledge that they pull the strings and have them all in THEIR hands! These people are internationalists and of no particular political stripe. Diplomacy and politics are games played by the manipulated masses for the amusement and ever increasing enrichment of this group. They are amoral, irreligious, apolitical, under no ethnic or cultural constraints and adept at playing all the odds and everything against everything else and always winning. They are the global casino that pits the marks against each other and pick up all the profits then selectively mete out varying percentages as trifectas and perfectas with the caveat that if one or the other of their chosen horses wishes to continue to receive their largesse they should follow instructions precisely otherwise lose their preferential stipend to a competitor. Elections have become meaningless exercises serving as avenues for keeping the masses at each others’ throats and as a sedative to potential unruliness. These people are who Ayn Rand envisioned hiding in their secret mountain valley away from the losers and moochers commonly known as average citizens!

Robert Sheer and Cenk Uygur are two of the clearest voices of the progressive movement. It should have been longer. But I’m not sure how to interpret that, “...you’re certainly charming” comment by Sheer. Was that condescension or was that a compliment? If it was the former - Robert, do a little homework on who is interviewing you. You two are on the same page.

Scheer is right-on as far as he goes!
Obama is overly impressed with academic credentials and traditional Wall Street credentials, i.e. Summers, Geitner, Shapiro (“SEC”)!
The real problem is American Capitalism is broken, because monies aggregated from the public are not being redirected to new businesses to create U.S. jobs! Keynesian Economics will not work on a Broken System!! This was made possible by repeal of Glass-Steagall which effectively gave Big Banks a monopoly on gleaning money from investors, without having to reinvest it for investor benefit in new U.S. enterprises! Obama’s naievte shows when he laments lack of bank lending, but ignores that small business has lost the ability to raise equity to collateralize loans. The SEC’s policies have made it virtually impossible for small businesses to raise capital, effectively outlawing raising capital from those other than Venture Capitalists and “Accredited Investors”!
The stream of illegal Mexicans is our “canary in the coal mine” in that the ruling families in Mexico that conduct a “serial dictatorship” and control all the wealth have not left enough scraps on the table for the rest of the Mexican people! Now, our “ruling elite” (Wall Street and Big Business officers and directors) are failing to leave enough scraps from their table to support the Middle Class; and migration to Canada is not an option for most of us. In fact, the scraps (jobs) are being taken off-shore at the insistence of Wall Street to take advantage of lower labor rates, without regard to the burdens placed on American businesses to comply with Environmental Laws. To be fair, incoming goods should be taxed to adjust for the Environmental Damage being caused by offshore manufacturers. This would “Fair Trade” rather than protectionism, i.e. it would only level the playing field for U.S. labor!
Obama thinks he has gotten all he could given voting constraints in the Senate (which is true), but Congressional compromises and half-measures are killing us!! Had he held-out, his base would be more willing to reward him at the polls.

As I’ve stated elsewhere: Obama didn’t hire them; they hired him. And adding to
this, if LBJ were around today, he’d advise this: Give up any notion that you’re
another JFK - do as your told; they’ve got their ways.

Robert Scheer, on the cause of the economic crisis: the intensity of your voice and your facial animation demonstrates to the viewer that you really care. Wonderful! They will respond to what you have to say. Please keep up your good work, spread the word, communicate your insights to all MSM. Also, please talk about what should happen now. All the best.